Maine tribes have repeatedly been blocked, by voters and by state government, in efforts to enter the gaming industry. This continued exclusion has not been fair. So as lawmakers consider a bill that would give tribes control of a new mobile sports betting market, we view this as a potential rebalancing of a situation that has historically left them behind.

In an attempt to build toward compromise with Maine tribes, Gov. Janet Mills and others have been working on a proposal that would make federally recognized tribes in the state the only group eligible to get mobile sports betting licenses, which are not yet available in Maine.